Card holder



W. B. TEMPLE Nov. 15, 1949 CARD HOLDER Filed March 28, 1945 INVENTOR WILLIAM B. TEMPLE ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 15, 1949 UNITED STATES ?ATENT OFFICE 2,487,835 CARD HOLDER William B. Temple, United, States Navy,

Squantum, Mass.

1 Application March 28, 1945, Serial No. 585,373 .6 Claims. (01,.- 129-1) (Granted under the act'of March amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) This invention relates to a holder for use'with a card file and is exemplified herein with reference to a device for separating cards of a visible card file, and for holding the separated cards apart to facilitate posting on or taking information from the exposed cards.

One well-known type of card file comprises a cabinet having a tier of shallow trays to each of 'which are hinged a plurality of cards which lie flatly against each other in overlapping relation. In the use of the card file, a tray is pulled out of -the cabinet and then the front of the tray is lowered to bring all of the cards within easy reach of the operator. When the tray is in this position, the cards, upon being separated at any point along the tray, always tend to fall forwardly and downwardly. Hence, the operator is required not them apart, at the same time when he would like to have both hands available for handling papers, posting, or for operating a machine.

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the invention to provide means for relieving the user of the card file from holding the file open while he adds data to or takes it from the cards in the file.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a card holder for use with a file of the type mentioned above, the holder having a base which is Iadaptedto be secured to and by the cards them-.

selves, and a prop constructed and arranged to hold all the cards, above that to which the base is secured, away therefrom. As herein illustrated, the base of the device is secured to the cards by being inserted at one end into a pocket in the card on which the base rests, the other end of the base being inserted under the hinges of the other cards above the first-mentioned card.

As another feature of the invention, the prop has a plurality of projections extending to different extents beyond and into overhanging relation to the edge of the base, whereby the device is adapted to be used at any point in a tray of cards regardless of any limitation in the possible backward movement of the cards toward the cabinet.

With the above and other objects and features in view, the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and will be pointed out in the claims.

Fig. 1 is a perspective View illustrating the use of a preferred form of my device near the bottom of a tray of a visible card file;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation illustrating the use of my device at or near the top of a tray;

- Fig. 3 is a'plan View of the holder illustrated in Fig. 2.

The preferred embodiment of my holder oomprises a base I having thin or beveled edges .2 and 3, and a prop 4, the latter having legs 5 and 6 10- Which are attached to the base I by screws I, 8,

and 9.

The base I of my holder is preferably made of a thin, transparent, sheet material, so that it is possible to read from that card on which the holder rests while it is in use. Although the edge of the base I is shown herein as beveled completely around its periphery, only the ends of the base adjacent to the prop 4 are required to be beveled or thinned.

The portion of the prop 4 between the legs 5 and 6 constitutes a handle I0. The prop also comprises two projections II and I2, 'which, as illustrated in Fig. 2, extend above and beyond the adjacent ends of the base I to difierent extents.

When the holder is installed at or near the front of a tray, the long projection I2 is used to hold the retracted cards in place as illustrated in, Fig. :1. On the other hand, since the upward and "backward movement of the upper cards is limited loythe cabinet, the holder is installed in the tray with the short projection II uppermost whenever cards must be separated near the back of the tray ;as illustrated in Fig. 2

Opposite sides of the rojections II and I2 are smoothly rounded as indicated at 13 and I4. The end of each projection is pointed as indicated at I5 and I6. Consequently, the holder may easily be inserted between cards of the file to divide the cards into two sections without tearing them or displacing them from the tray.

The use of my holder can be best understood by referring to Figs. 1 and 2 which illustrate the holder as installed in a typical visible card file. This file comprises a cabinet I! containing 2. tier of trays, one of which Is is withdrawn for use. Along the sides of each tray are opposed slots I9, in which are inserted the ends of paper, or fiber slides 20. To each slide is attached a card holder .2I, each holder having a hinge 22. Along the edge of each card holder 2! remote from its hinge, is attached a fold 23 of transparent material which forms a shallow pocket 24 at each margin of the card holder. A card 25 is inserted in the holder 2| as shown in Fig. 1, one edge being insorted in the pocket 24 and the opposite corners purposes Without the payment of any being inserted in diagonal slots in the holder 2|.

When the tray I 8 has been pulled out of the file cabinet 11, and lowered into position for use, its outer end rests upon a support 26, and the cards all fall forward and lie against each other in overlapping relation. The operator grasps the holder by its handle I and inserts one of the pointed projections It or I6 between the overlapping cards at the desired point. With one of the rounded edges 1 3 or M, he pushes the upper section of cards upward and away from the lower section The base I of the holder is then placed on top of the uppermost card in the lower section with the holder extending crosswise of the tray [8. The holder is then turned so as to extend lengthwise of the tray whereby the edges 2 and 3 of the base are forced into place, one edge extending into the pocket 24 and the opposite'edge underlying the hinges 22 of the cards in the upper section; When so secured, my device holds the cards apart in twosections, leaving twofaces of the'separated cards exposed and clearly visible.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for government royalty thereon or therefor.

Having described my invention what I claim as novel and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. For use with a visible card file having cards hinged along one edge, each of said cards having a pocket at the edge opposite to the hinge, a

device for holding one section of cards away from a second section thereof, said device comprising a base having a substantially flat portion with thin ends, one of which is adapted tobe inserted under the hinges of the cards of the first section and the other of which is adapted to be inserted into the pocket of a card in said second section, a handle fixed to and extending from the plane of said base,

said handle having a prop extending therefrom tents beyond and into overhanging relation to the edge of said base.

3. For use with a visible card file having hinged cards arranged to lie with their edges in overlapping relation, a device for separating the cards comprising a base having a. substantially fiat portion, and a prop fixed to and extending from the plane of said base and having opposed projections arranged to overhang the edge of said base,

the end and one side of each projection being pointed and rounded respectively.

4. Apparatus adapted for separation of cards in a'visible card file comprising, a substantially flat and transparent base having thin ends, a prop lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of said base, said prop including a first pair of extensions secured to said base, the section of said prop between said first extensions providing a handle for said apparatus, said prop including a second pair of extensions each pointed and projecting from opposite ends of said handle beyond and'overhanging adjacent ends of said base to different extents. V

5. Apparatus as in claim 4 wherein opposit sides of said second pair of extensions are smoothly rounded.

6. For use with a visible card file having cards hinged along one edge, each of said cards having a pocket at the edge opposite the hinge, a device for holding one section of cards away from a second section thereof, said device comprising a substantially broad and smooth base portion, said base portion having means at one end thereof for securing said base under the hinges of said cards of the first section and means at the opposite end thereof for securing said base within the pocket of a card in the second section, and a prop extending from said base and having means to hold the cards of the first section :away from the cards of the second section.

' WILLIAM B. TEMPLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,744,462 Friel Jan. 21, 1930 1,837,019 Day Dec. 15, 1931 2,180,490 Vogel Nov. 21, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 375,931 Italy Oct. 26, 1939 

